Intermountain Botanical Foray

Come join us on the annual Intermountain Botanical Foray!

Register for the 2026 Foray

What?

The Intermountain Botanical Foray is a yearly bioblitz bringing together botanists to explore the flora of an interesting ecosystem in the intermountain region. Each year we go to a new location for a long weekend over the summer. We document the biodiversity we see using the citizen science platform iNaturalist and make specimen collections for the herbarium.

By participating in a Foray you will contribute to our understanding of the intermountain region’s amazing botanical diversity, provide important research materials for the next generation of botanists, learn from local experts, and, most importantly, nerd-out with a team of fellow botanical enthusiasts!

Intermountain Botanical Foray

Who?

The Foray is organized by the Intermountain Herbarium. We coordinate the location and dates (a long weekend), provide equipment (for specimen collection and processing), and handle logistics such as permitting. Participants are responsible for their own food, transportation, and sleep setup (bedding etc.). Each day Foray participants split into teams to explore specific sites, and we gather each evening for presentations, identification sessions, and to press our specimens.

Botanists of all kinds are encouraged to participate— whether you are just getting interested in plants or have many years of experience botanizing and whether you are a professional or hobby botanist. No connection to USU is necessary.

Intermountain Botanical Foray participants

When?

The Foray is scheduled in the summer (after USU’s Spring Semester), but we choose the dates each year based on the peak times for the flora of that year’s location.

Stay Informed

You can join the mailing list for information about the Foray. (Do not change the subject line to the email or you will not be added to the mailing list.)

Examining a specimen
Making notes during botanical foray